Robot-powered restaurant one step closer to dumping fast-food workers

Technocrats working robotics are pushing hard for a Universal Basic Income throughout society because they understand the vast damage they will cause to the labor force. The ethical issue does not concern them, as they ‘invent’ simply because they can. ⁃ TN Editor

Momentum Machines secured over $18 million in financing, according to a SEC filing in May. The startup has generated investments from top VC firms Google Ventures and Khosla Ventures in the past.

In 2012, Momentum Machines debuted a robot that could crank out 400 made-to-order hamburgers in an hour. It’s fully autonomous, meaning the machine can slice toppings, grill a patty, and assemble and bag a burger without any help from humans.

The company has been working on its first retail location since at least June of last year. There is still no scheduled opening date for the flagship, though it’s expected to be located in San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood.

San Franciscans have been warming up to the idea of a restaurant experience with minimal human interactions for years. In 2015, futuristic food-chain Eatsa opened downtown. The vegetarian restaurant, which specializes in quinoa bowls, automates the ordering and pick-up process. It’s since expanded to New York and Washington, DC.